


File of Hope

by Vera (Vera_DragonMuse)



Category: Smallville
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fairy Tale, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2003-10-01
Updated: 2003-10-01
Packaged: 2017-10-07 02:21:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,611
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/60357
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Vera_DragonMuse/pseuds/Vera
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A dreamy look at two men finding each other.</p>
            </blockquote>





	File of Hope

Once. Upon. A Time. There was a young man name Clark.

He was fair of face and hard of body, but he wasn't entirely satisfied.

So, even though he loved his mother and father very dearly, he kissed them good bye and set off to find his fortune. The road was long and the way was hard, but he walked through the plains, stopping occasionally to rest and ask the local folk if they knew where he should go to find his fortune.

"Go to the city." Suggested a young black man, who had large brown eyes with secret hopes. "There's work there and drink and lovely ladies."

So Clark walked on the road to the city.

"No!" A petite blond stepped in his path a few miles later. "You can't go to the city! The way is barred by a ferocious beast. He's sure to gobble you alive!"

But Clark didn't fear any beast. He was strong and brave. So he walked on.

"You can't go to the city." A sweet brunette quacked with fear when he approached her for a meal. "There's a great beast all set to swallow you whole. Stay with me and I'll keep you safe."

Clark stayed because his mother had taught him that it was polite to accept kindly given invitations, but the brunette was not as she looked. She knew of Clark, had heard he was strong and had tamed many wild beasts. She collected the hearts of strong men and kept them still beating in jars in her basement. For years, she had heard stories of Clark, so she had found his weakness and worn it about her neck waiting for the day he arrived.

The food was very good and rich, Clark feel asleep and into her trap. She kept him in her bed for seven days and seven nights and he could not fight her because of the necklace. Though in truth he found her beautiful and did struggle much. He thought it a pleasant fate.

Then she came to him on the eighth night.

"I'm going to take your heart now." She smiled sweetly. "And then you'll be mine forever."

"I give it to you, of my own free will." He smiled right back, honest and true. "If It means I can stay with you."

Clark could not have known, but it was this very curse that lay upon the girl that she must steal hearts until one was given to her. She had been trapped for many years under it and when he offered, she smiled, a real smile wicked and full of potential, before crumbling to dust along with her wicked necklace.

Sad and confused, Clark took some of her ashes in a plastic baggy, tucked them in his jeans and headed on the road again. As he approached the city, he could hear the great rumbling roars of the beast and the terrible cries of those who suffered under his rule.

Scarecrows lined the road. In the dark of the night, Clark made his camp by their feet and left them small offerings of food. In the morning the food was gone and he would go on his way unharmed. The night before he would reach the beast, he had a strange dream. The scarecrows were awake and moaning.

"Look for the chink under his left arm." They swayed together. "Pierce it sharp. Pierce it strong."

When he woke his hand was wrapped about a dagger made of straw, sodded together with blood.

Finally, Clark came to the beast. It was indeed mighty, covering the entirety of the road, the only road into the city. It was ferocious and covered in soft brown hair, its' eyes glittered with malicious intelligence.

"Why come you to the city?"

"I seek my fortune." Clark told it, watching the great thing shift and weave.

"Many have come down this road looking for my cities riches. Everyone have I bested in a fight and everyone I have turned into scarecrows. What makes you think you can survive?"

"I have the strength of ten men because my heart is pure."

The great beast laughed and without warning charged on the boy, who was armed with nothing, but the fragile straw dagger. He dipped and weave, barely managing to avoid sharp claws and gnashing teeth. He was sure that all was lost and reached into his pockets. His hand closed around the ashes. He threw them swiftly into the great beasts eyes. It bellowed and complained.

"You have blinded me."

"I have. Now let me through to the city and claim my fortune."

"No! I am not bested, only blinded!"

And the beast attacked again, relying on it's ears and nose to find it's attacker, but it was much weakened. Still the battle raged on for two days and even Clark's great strength began to wane. It seemed that he should yet fail, he closed his hand on the straw dagger and thought of all those who had fallen at the beasts might jaw. With one last burst of strength, he thrust home the simple weak blade and watched in awe as the beast shuddered and fell to the ground.

"You...you bested me."

"I did. Now let me through to seek my fortune."

"I shall do better still." It wheezed, the dark fever of its eyes still gleaming. "I will show you my home that contains all my worldly goods and if in three days time you find the thing that is of the most worth then you may take it home with you and I will perish. If you choose wrongly, then I will eat your heart and take your strength for mine."

"And if I don't agree?"

"Then you will go free." The beast tongue lolled from it's mouth. "But I will tear every last scarecrow to pieces with my dying gasps."

So Clark agreed for he could not forget the loyalty of the scarecrows that had already once saved his life. The beast shuddered to the ground and went limping to a great castle. Once inside, Clark was stunned by the sheer opulence and wealth. The whole of the castle seemed dipped in gold and jewels, not even the simplest tea cozy was without a stitched diamond or emerald. The beast curled itself in the center of the ball room that was filled with coins and crowns.

"Go now. At the end of each day, you may bring me what you think to be of the most worth and I will tell you if you have found it or not."

Clark went forth and began to search each room. There were three hundred and sixty rooms, each done in a different theme or color and each filled with beautiful expensive things. In the one-hundredth room, he stared at exquisite books, each ancient and rare. He reached to touch one.

"Those are mine."

The man had appeared from behind one bookshelf. He was dressed in fine silks, but his head was naked as a babe's. His eyes were ice and his skin the purest white.

"I am looking for the thing that is of the most worth in this fine castle."

"Another one?" The man shook his head. "Not many make it here, but they all die."

"Then I will die. But I did not want him to kill the scarecrows."

The man stared at him and Clark obligingly recounted his tale. When he was finished, the man spoke,

"You are nobler then the others who have come, but I still say that you will die at the end of these three days. I have lived here all my life and I do not know what the most expensive thing is." The man turned back to his books.

"Would you walk with me?"

"I told you, I do not know what the thing is."

"You do not have to help me. It is only that I have long been alone on my journey and I would like to speak to someone."

The man considered it for a long moment.

"Yes. I will walk with you."

From room to room they went and in the one hundred and fiftieth room while they spoke of the books the man had been reading, Clark found an egg behind glass.

"This is an unhatched phoenix! It's tears heal all, surely this is more valuable then any jewel."

The man said nothing and when Clark went to show the Beast, the man stayed behind and would not say why.

"That!" The beast laughed. "I am not of the human world, the tears of a phoenix are nothing to me. Only your heart could heal me. Two more days."

Clark left the egg in the ballroom and went back to one-hundredth room. The man watched him come in.

"The egg was tired before?"

"Yes."

"You said nothing."

"There was nothing to say. You will die at the end of three days. The item cannot be found."

There were many beds in the great house, but Clark did not seek rest. Instead, he spoke with the mysterious man about ethics and oaths until the sun rose high enough to start the search again. From room to room they went, walking and speaking while Clark looked for worthy things. In the two-hundredth and twenty-seventh room, he found a mirror that could show him any place he wanted in the world.

"Surely this is a great tool that is worth much."

Again the man fell silent, again he would not come with Clark before the Beast.

"I do not care for the world outside my city! The mirror is a children's toy. I look forward to eating your heart."

Clark left the mirror by the egg and returned to the hundredth room.

"Others have brought the mirror?"

"Yes."

"You said nothing."

"There was nothing to say. Your life is forfeit."

Clark was tired.

"If I sleep, will you wake me?"

"I may sleep too and then you will lose your last day."

"I trust you."

Clark curled at the man's feet and slept. The man watched him for a long time, then left slowly. He walked up and up, higher and higher in the castle until he reached the utmost peak. There a diamond as large as his own bald head rested on a pedestal. He took it and slowly descended the stair. When Clark awoke, the man was watching him, diamond tucked neatly under one arm.

"No one has tried this before." He placed it into Clark's hands. "It is the Moon Diamond, a tear of the Luna's own, wept for her falling star children."

"Thank you."

"It may not be it or the Beast may trick you yet."

"Then I may die this night. I should like to have your name before I go before the Beast."

"Only the Beast calls me and he says only 'Son'. Is that a name?"

"No." Clark sighed and stared at the man, who was pale and smooth, not at all like the Beast. "No one else has ever called you?"

"Many many years ago...I remember a woman. I think she was like Luna and she stroked my forehead and said 'Alexander'."

"That is your name then." Clark smiled at him and for the first time, Alexander smiled too.

They spent the whole of the last day together, Clark describing his home which he now missed very much. Alexander spoke of the Beast and the many parities of the city which he had watched, but never dared to join. He showed him the dances he saw and together they picked out steps to a silver phonograph. In the final moments of dusk, Alexander brushed a kiss on Clark's lips.

"The witch did that, but I like yours better."

In the twilight they kissed until Clark was blushing and his heart thudded with fear and sadness that he might die. Together they walked in silence to the ballroom and quietly, Alexander followed Clark in. He stood in the doorway and watched as Clark held the diamond close to him. The Beast was close to death, wheezing, but the glint did not fade.

"What have you brought me?"

"The Child of Luna."

"The diamond! That is worth even less then nothing, another petty jewel! Now come close so I can swallow your heart."

"I didn't mean the diamond. Alexander. " The man confused started forward. "He. He is the most worthy thing in your palace."

"Fool! He is only a boy. Now come here so that I may eat your heart!"

Clark sighed and walked forward, hearing Alexander's soft sobs in the background. The Beast placed a mighty paw on Clark's chest and shuddered.

"No! Where is it? Where is your heart!"

"I gave it away. To Alexander." Behind him a gasp, but he had eyes only for the Beast which quaked with rage.

"It was to be mine!"

"You would have taken it on false pretenses. Alexander is the only thing here that is true, all else is illusion. Nothing is worthy to you because you cannot feel. I know your kind which eats hearts to replace the black void of its own. I have won. "

Without another word, the Beasts' eyes rolled back on it's head and at last it died. All around them, the palace with all it's gold and jewels rotted away until it was only Clark and Alexander alone in a field, the corpse of the Beast rotting before them.

"My home..." Alexander cast a desperate eye in every direction. "It was all I've ever known."

"I'm sorry. " Clark embraced him. "But you can come back to me with me to my home. "

"What about your fortune?"

"I have found it. The Beast promised me that if I found what was most worthy, then I could keep it. I have found you."

"That is very kind, but you cannot wring gold or silver for me, nor goods for trade. You will return empty handed."

"Just walk with me."

Alexander sighed and together they found the road and began to walk. As they went, a strange thing happened. Every scarecrow they passed became again a man and each when helped down from a their post gave Clark a gift in thanks. Each had been a find man if some kind and carried a purse of some worth. Some gave him gold and silver, one a phoenix egg and another a mirror.

By the time he arrived home, he was piled with as much a fortune as anyone could want. He gave it to the black man and the blond girl he had meant on his way, to his parents and the town. Everything, but the phoenix egg and mirror and one purse of gold with which he bought a small house for he and Alexander to live in.

But Alexander was not content. He would spend his nights staring at the moon and remember that for ago time when a woman had spoken to him. Clark watched him, keeping vigil, lest something take him off, but even heroes must sleep. One night, in the deepest of winters, Clark watched Alexander from the window and slept for only the slightest moment. When he awoke, Alexander was gone and in his place was the hard gleaming diamond.

Clark searched the world over for Alexander, fighting many terrible monsters, loosing his fortune, his strength, everything, but his hopes, casting his glance ever to the cruel moon that had let his love be stolen while she smiled coldly down. When there seemed nothing left of him and he stood on the very outskirts of a the desert, hungry, thirsty and bleeding, the moon sighed to him.

"Far you have walked, son of Terren, to search for my own child. Long have you searched until onto the very brink of death. Your loyalty and courage shows to bounds. Tell me what is your heart's desire so that I may grant it?"

"Only to have him again."

"That is the only thing I cannot grant."

"Then you cannot grant my heart's desire for I gave it to him my heart for safe keeping and nothing lies in my chest, but my want for him."

"Then you will perish without a heart. I have taken back my son and he will lie ever in my embrace." She would have left him there, the great and mighty goddess, if Clark had not clung to her robes and in secret went back with her to her cold and vast domain. He jumped when she settled back into her throne, landing hard. He dragged himself away, nearly falling into a pool of silver light which parched he drank great handfuls of. It quenched his thirst and soothed away his aches. There he fell asleep and was still for many days.

When he woke, it was at Alexander's feet.

"I watched over your sleep."

Clark reached out to him, but the image rippled and disappeared. Revitalized, Clark stood and walked the hard ground. Each night he slept and woke to find Alexander watching over him. Each time the image rippled away and left him to search alone all the hours of the day.

At last, he came to house that he recognized instantly. It was their little cottage back home so very far away, except this one was made of ice. Every flower and every trellis of their garden, every dish in it's cabinet, all translucent and cold to the touch. Lying on the frozen bed, was Alexander asleep. Clark tried to wake him, but found him cold as the ice he lay on.

Clark lay down his head and wept. Now his heart was gone, frozen here and he wept and wailed for his own swift death for he could not stand to live any longer without even a hope of retrieving his heart. Hot were his tears and hotter still his impassioned please. Their flames licked into every corner of the ice house, melting the cabinets, dishes, flowers and trellis. He wept on, the furniture turned to puddle and the bed whittled down to nothing. Clark cradled Alexander in his arms and the hot tears brushed even the cold of near death from those pale cheeks.

"Clark?"

"I thought you were dead!"

"I almost was. I saw her, my mother. She brought me here to protect me. She meant well, the Beast came to her and took her from the sky, she thought all who dwell on the surface were like the Beast. At night, she was whispering to me and when you slept, I went with her to comfort her, but she could not let me leave. I wanted to return to you, so she built me house just like ours to keep me safe and happy. But it was cold without you and it froze."

Clark was too overwhelmed to speak, he only held his love tight in his arms and rubbed warmth back into the thin shaking frame.

"I always thought that you had given me your heart and I was greedy for having two." Alexander said slowly, his cheeks pinking and eyes softening. "But I was so cold without you and I realized that you must have taken my heart when I wasn't looking. At first that made me mad."

"I didn't take it." Clark protested. "I never tried."

"At first it made me mad, but as I lay on the bed and it turned to ice at my back, I was so happy, Clark. Because I knew you had my heart and you would keep it safe wherever you went and even if I froze here, you would keep it warm. "

"I didn't take your heart, Alexander."

"I know." The smile was soft and a hand touched his cheek. "I gave it to you."

)*(

"Lex, I'm home....what are you doing?"

Large hands, working hands, ink stained and calloused covered his shoulders completely, drawing him back from the land he had blundered into.

"Nothing. Just organizing a day planner..."

The pages were snatched from him unceremoniously and he turned to snatch them back, knowing that it was already far too late. Clark's speed reading was more like lightening speed when it had to be.

"Oh, Lex." Clark's grin wasn't mocking or sharp. It never was and Lex had to fight the urge to bask in the sunny warmth of it. Tried to remind himself that he was mad.

"I've asked you not to read my personal papers." He reminded steadily. Not cracking under those warm eyes. Not. Not.

"All right." Soft lips brushed over his forehead, eyelids mouth, Clark's favorite apology. "I'll see you at dinner then."

He leaves, but his presence lingers drawing away any urge to continue the returned story. No more fairy tales. Only socks left on the floor and messy gray borders of morals and ethics that they bicker about over pasta while Clark does his best poker face, running a socked foot up Lex's trouser leg.

There's not a happily ever after for story Clark and Lex, who are locked in formulas of three and strict morals, unearthly parents of his own devising. They could go on especially ever after, clambering down from the moon to meet with another fate worst then death. Lex gathers up the papers, staples them and files them neatly away with Clark's New Year's resolutions (unmet) and his own half-scrambled ideas (unformed). He trusted the story to be safe there. A file of hopes and dreams.

"Don't you dare touch my kitchen!" He called out sharply and chased after his errant giggling boyfriend.


End file.
